Process of purifying vanadium.



W. P. BLBECKER.

PROCESS 0F PURIFYING VANADIUM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1912.

1,065,582, Patented June 24,1913.

L H EHU Sz/LP/mr ro ,4c/a .sa/.Ur/OA/ 0F MMM/wy caA/m//W/va /MFu/r/s A00 50a/0M C4Heu^mr5 7 UNITED STATES PATENT GEFICE.

WARREN F. BLEECKER, 0F CANONSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THESTANDARD CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF PURIFYING VANADIUIVI.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVARREN F. BLnEC/Knn, a resident of Canonsburg, inthe county of )Vashington and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Purifying Vanadium;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved process of purifying vanadium,-theobject of the invention being to obtain vanadium` free from impurities.

lVit-h this object in view, the invention consists in certain novelsteps in the process of purifying vanadium in solutions or liquors, ashereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatical illustration of my improvedprocess.

In carrying out my improved process, I take an acid solution ofvanadium, such as may be obtained by acid treatment of carnotite orvanadiferous ores. This solution may be heated to about o C., andsufficient lead salt (such as lead sulfate, for example) will be addedas will form lead vanadate. The exact quantity of lead salt may bedetermined by an analysis of the vanadium liquor, to ascertain thevanadium content. An alkaline carbonate (such as sodium carbonate, forexample) will next be added t-o the solution until the vanadium isprecipitated, as lead vanadate probably (PbO)3.V2O5. The solution nowcontains practically all the lime, iron, aluminum, silica and magnesia,contained in the original solution or liquor. The lead vanadate (whichis practically free from all the impurities above mentioned) will nextbe removed from the solution by filtration.

The vanadium may be removed from the lead vanadate by treatment withacid, preferably ILS()4 forming vanadyl sulfate. Lead sulfate will thusbe precipitated and may be again used in the first step of the process),and the resultant liquor will be an acid solution of vanadium free fromall the impurities before alluded to,-viz. lime, iron, aluminum, silicaand magnesia.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led May 24, 1912.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Serial No. 699,597.

In 'the drawing, the various steps of the process are represented by thereference characters a, b, c, (l, and the products of the steps b, c, CZare also indicated.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described process, consisting in adding a lead salt to anacid solution containing vanadium and impurities, then adding analkaline carbonate to the solution, and removing from the solution, leadvanadate free from impurities.

2. The herein described process, consisting in adding lead salt to anacid solution of vanadium, precipitating lead vanadate in said solution,and recovering vanadium from the lead vanadate precipitate. i

3. The herein described process, con` sisting in subjecting vanadiferousore to the action of an acid to form an acid solution containingvanadium and impurities. adding a lead salt to said solution, thentreating the solution with an alkali, and recovering precipitated leadvanadate free from impurities.

4. The herein described process of purifying vanadium, consisting` inadding lead salt to an acid solution containing vanadium, treating thesolution to precipitate lead vanadate, removing the precipitated leadvanadate, treating the precipitated lead vanadate with acid, andrecovering an acid solution of vanadium free from impurities.

5. The herein described process of purifying vanadium, consisting inadding lead salt to an acid solution containing vanadium and impurities,then adding to the solution, an alkaline carbonate until lead vanadateis precipitated, treating the lead vanadate precipitate with sulfuricacid, and recovering lead sulfate and an acid solution of vanadium freefrom impurities.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing` witnesses.

WARREN F. BLEECKER.

)itnessem JOS. A. KELLY, HARRY A. KANELING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

